JUST because Liverpool can’t win a trophy this season doesn’t mean there won’t be any silverware heading for Anfield.

Not while Luis Suarez is around, in this kind of form and in the goals. Brendan Rodgers’ pick for the Footballer of the Year award is now leading the race for the Golden Boot.

Suarez overtook Robin van Persie just as he overwhelmed Wigan, grabbing a hat-trick to take his tally to 21 league goals.

No wonder Liverpool are delighted he has vowed to stay at Anfield.

The electric, elusive Uruguayan is an adopted Scouser and an awesome striker.

He scored three, recent signing Philippe Coutinho made two and Liverpool cruised to victory to keep alive their faint hopes of a top-four finish.

They were troubled only in the first few seconds. Wigan could have been ahead in the first minute when Arouna Kone’s poor touch cost him a golden chance.

They were behind in the second. Roberto Martinez’s men defended disastrously, allowing Pepe Reina’s goal kick to bounce through to Coutinho. The Brazilian crossed and Stewart Downing hung in the air to head home.

It was just his second league goal since his £20 million move from Aston Villa.

Downing will never provide value for money but at least he is a valuable member of the team again while Ali Al Habsi, making his 100th league appearance for Wigan, was beaten after 100 seconds.

Roberto Martinez's team defended disastrously

Luis Suarez is an adopted Scouser and an awesome striker.

Liverpool’s second that was the product of pure passing football. Steven Gerrard released Coutinho who provided the defence-splitting ball for Suarez to surge on to and sidefoot past Al Habsi.

He got a helping head when he doubled his tally for the evening. Shaun Maloney leapt in the Wigan wall and got a telling deflection to take the ball past Al Habsi.

Then Suarez poked a shot through the keeper’s legs after Glen Johnson set him up. It was, incredibly, his sixth goal in three games.

And while Reina made brilliant saves to tip Emmerson Boyce’s volley away and Franco Di Santo’s header over the bar, Wigan were well beaten.